Falling Stars
by Joydrop
Summary: Sorata-focused fic with some shounen-ai in it. Chapter two is now up ^_^
1.

This fic is over a year old which is why quite a lot of things that have recently (or not so recently) in the X manga are not mentioned (certain deaths, the loss of an eye, etc). Think of it as an AU if it keeps your brain from exploding. Whatever floats your boat.  
  
I also know Sorata is supposed to have an accent, which would normally be reflected when speaking in Japanese, but due to my utter ignorance of the language it's been pretty much dropped. Sorry.  
  
Characters all belong to the mightiness that is CLAMP. Fear them! FEEEEAAAAR!!!  
  
.... okay, maybe not.  
  
---  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorata Arisugawa hummed happily, if badly, as he bounced into the kitchen of the Imonoyama mansion. He was in high spirits because today was the day that "it" was finally going to happen. He had plotted "it" for weeks; making sure he was cleanly shaven, that he had showered thoroughly the night before, that his jeans and shirt weren't wrinkled and were actually hung up in the closet for once, and everything else a guy needed to do to make himself look semi respectable.  
  
"Good morning, Sorata-san!" Akira chirped to him happily, working on what looked like a large batch of pancakes.  
  
"Yes, what a good morning it is!" Sorata replied, a large grin taking over his features. He paused, sniffing the air dramatically. "Wow, that smells really good."  
  
The cook beamed. "Would you like some? They're almost done."  
  
The monk struck a thoughtful pose, hand curled up under his chin, head nodding a little. "Hm... Hm... Hmmmmm.... As much as I'd love to wolf down at least a hundred of those delicious lookin' darlings, I need my teeth squeaky clean and my breath minty fresh," he said with a wink.  
  
"Oh? Why's that, Sorata-san?" Akira blinked gray eyes at him.  
  
"Because today is a very special day!" Sorata proclaimed, loud enough that Seiichiro and Karen in the other room stuck their heads around the massive door frame. "Today! Today is the day that - hey, have you seen Miss around?"  
  
"I think she went for a walk out in the backyard," Karen offered.  
  
Sorata nodded. "Thanks Kasumi-san. Well then, I'm off!" With a whoop, that caused poor Yuzuriha upstairs in bed to snap out of her dream about Kusanagi and ice cream, the monk barreled out of the door and into the early morning sun.  
  
"I wonder what's so special about today," Seiichiro said, eyes wide behind his glasses.  
  
Karen giggled. "I think he's finally going to ask Arashi out."  
  
"But, doesn't he do that every time they're together?"  
  
"Mm-mm," Karen shook her head with a smile. "Usually he's just joking around. I think he's serious today. Did you see how his shirt had no wrinkles and his hair was almost decent looking for once?"  
  
The wind master shrugged. "I really didn't notice," he said, looking down at her. "Well, back to scrabble?"  
  
----  
  
Sorata felt like his soul was up there, dancing around in the slight breeze playing through the many trees that lined his path. He would have skipped if he wasn't afraid that Miss would see him acting like some love-sick school boy (which, technically, he was) and go running for the hills. He frowned a little at that thought. Her fleeing from him really wouldn't fit in with his grand master plan.  
  
/You've always run from me before..../  
  
/Not literally of course (well, so far)..../  
  
/But you constantly shut yourself off to me; to everyone./  
  
/Not anymore./  
  
He peered around the trunk of one particularly large hiba arborvitae tree and snapped his fingers in agitation. Still no sign of his dark haired priestess.  
  
/You won't be alone anymore./  
  
Sorata continued his walk, trying his hardest not to cheat and not to sense out her presence. He wanted his finding her to be nothing more than an innocent 'accident', a 'oh, fancy meeting you here!'-type situation; it would be that much more romantic. Now if only he could actually find her....  
  
He sighed and rubbed the back of his head idly. Glancing to his right he noticed with a small amount of foreboding, that the tree right next to him was the one he had been at only a few minutes ago. "Figures," the monk said with a low groan, "that I get lost. Maybe Miss will have to come find -me-." He perked at that thought, of being alone with her under one of the dark green trees on a lovely morning like this. Of course, she would probably find him, point him back towards the mansion, turn on her heel and walk off thinking about what a numskull he was for getting lost.  
  
Ego deflated a little, but no less determined to find her first, Sorata kept walking, eyes and ears searching for anything that might give away another human presence. He passed by another large (or was it the same?) tree, glanced past it and -  
  
Almost passed out.  
  
Standing there, with her long skirt flowing in the gentle wind, was his lady. Her raven hair played down her back, dancing and shimmering like strings on a violin in the morning sun. Lovely white hands, as delicate looking as porcelain were clasped at her sides in the folds of the dark skirt. She was as enchanting as any princess.  
  
And on her features was a mixture of expressions that the Kouya priest, even in all of his time spent with her, had never seen before.  
  
A faint smile.  
  
And a faint blush.  
  
/What?/  
  
His startled gaze traveled past her and rested on -  
  
- Subaru Sumeragi.  
  
Sorata tightened his grip on the tree trunk to avoid falling over from this new shock to his system and watched them, his mouth slightly open. The Sumeragi looked cool and calm as usual, his face as impassive as ever. But Miss....  
  
If anyone could recognize the shine in her eyes, and what that light meant, it was Sorata.  
  
Carefully, as to not alert the other two Dragons to his presence, he moved back around the tree trunk and let his head come to rest with a small 'thud' on the hard wood. If he hadn't been so afraid of being caught spying, he would have probably continued hitting his head on the bark long into the night.  
  
/Should have.... known...../  
  
Silently, he crept away from them. He wasn't positive that this would get him back to the other Seals; but it would get him away from that light, that -emotion- pouring forth from dark eyes usually so cold, even to him....  
  
Of course, he thought with a mental grumble, this is what I get for my want and desire.  
  
/Have I just been fooling myself?/  
  
Sorata reflected a bit about what he had been doing, or at least what he thought he had been doing, in areas concerning his Miss. He had tried, oh how he had -tried- to lighten her spirits; to make her smile, just once. Everyone needs a good laugh now and then. The Dragons of Heaven more than some....   
  
/I'm there to be the joker. To cheer everyone up and make them forget that we could all be killed and humanity could die out because of something so simple - like us screwing up./  
  
And he had wanted to make them all happy. He really did care a lot about all of them; each and every one of his new friends. Especially Miss. She really didn't have anyone else. Kamui and Subaru both had their own woes and had bonded nicely over that; Yuzuriha wasn't ever really depressed and if she ever was, she always went out for ice cream and that seemed to cheer her up; Aoki-san and Kasumi-san were both obviously close, but to what extent Sorata had no idea. Miss on the other hand didn't have any of the other Dragons that she was close to. She didn't have anyone to make her smile.  
  
/So I had pledged that I'd make her smile./  
  
/I'd make Miss really happy./  
  
But it looked like someone had beaten him to it.  
  
Even if the Sumeragi probably didn't have a damn clue that he had.  
  
Sorata let out a long sigh.  
  
Despite his jokes, despite his charms, despite the smiles he always flashed her; she never responded. Sometimes he'd catch her off guard, but then his reward was usually a shocked look or a solid thumping. Nothing to write home to the old geezer about.  
  
"Wai!"  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Sorata fell back hard and his grimaced as hot pain lanced down through his legs. Rubbing distractedly at his poor abused rear end, he looked up at found himself looking into the large worried eyes of -  
  
"Kamui! Oh geez, I'm sorry! Are you okay kid?" He sprang quickly off of the ground, patting the younger boy down who let out an indignant squawk as Sorata's hands found their way to a few places Kamui wasn't sure he wanted anyone touching yet.  
  
"I'm fine Sora," Kamui said, batting the monk's hands away, "I'm not hurt."  
  
"Well that's good," Sorata said as he stood, his normal grin slipping over his features, "I'd feel awful if anything happened to you. On the other hand, I'm not so sure I'm okay, running straight into you like that! Anyone ever tell you how thick skulled you are, Kamui?" Sorata's grin didn't falter as he offered a hand down to Kamui. Glaring daggers at the smiling face in front of him, Kamui still took the hand and was hefted up to his feet.  
  
"Anyways, have you seen Subaru?"   
  
/That light again...../  
  
The look in Kamui's eyes; that lovely mixture of shyness and something resembling adoration all thinly veiled beneath a guise of coldness and annoyance. Just like Miss' eyes, those exact same emotions except now they were playing in the depths of purple and blue instead of obsidian....  
  
"Sora?"  
  
Sorata blinked, pulled out of his second mental shock of the day. "Eh?"  
  
"You looked kind of pale," Kamui said, large eyes studying his features. Sorata fought the odd blush that threatened to engulf his cheeks under that scrutiny and instead flashed Kamui a wink.  
  
"Of course I look pale compared to a beauty like you!"  
  
He grinned mentally at Kamui's normal flustered reaction and the scowl that always followed it. The best part about being the first guy to meet their leader, Sorata decided, was that he was the best at guessing at and getting reactions from Kamui.  
  
"Sora, you didn't answer me. Do you know where Subaru is or not?" Kamui folded his arms and fixed the monk with the best threatening look he could muster. Sorata sweated and waved his arms.  
  
"Yeah yeah, just don't kill me!"  
  
"Then where is he?" Kamui demanded.  
  
"He's talking to Miss," Sorata thumbed over his shoulder, "somewhere back there."  
  
"He's talking to Arashi?" The slighter boy blinked a few times. "Maybe I should talk to him later then."  
  
Sorata shrugged and then gently turned Kamui around, keeping one hand on the seemingly fragile shoulder. "Well hey, don't worry about it. You can always talk to me, right?" he questioned cheerfully as they began to walk back to where Sorata assumed (and hoped and prayed) was the Imonoyama mansion. Kamui looked up from under thick lashed at him dubiously. Sorata's grin faded. "Listen Kamui, I know it probably doesn't seem the same coming from a guy like me, who hasn't been there and hasn't experienced the same sort of trouble you have, but I'm always here for ya. If you ever need a shoulder to cr- er, someone to talk to, I want you to feel free to come to me. Alright?" His normal cheesy grin found it's way back onto his face. Kamui still looked uncertain but nodded his head all the same.  
  
---  
  
Sorata glanced idly at the clock and at the 2:00 AM it blinked back at him. With a low curse, he reached out to grasp the cup of beer he had been currently nursing. If it wasn't for the fact that they were always on alert because of the Dragons of Earth, he would probably have gotten drunk off his ass.  
  
"Stupid Dragons of Earth," he muttered sullenly and he took another swig, "always ruining our fun and good times." He glanced over at the small stack of empty cans by the foot of his bed a sighed. "I'm gonna have such a hangover if I ever get to sleep."  
  
He glared at the cup in his hand. "And that my friend, is -your- fault."  
  
/ "Anyways, have you seen Subaru?" /  
  
"He didn't even say hi to me," Sorata said to his bedside clock mournfully, setting down the cup for a moment, "ya know that? Not even a 'Hey Sora, how's it going?'. Nope, he wanted to talk to the Sumeragi and right then, right there. He didn't even tell me what about, although he kept pacing like a caged cat all until Subaru and Miss walked in the door and then he looked like he coulda actually jumped with happiness." He leaned over the nightstand, glaring at the tiny alarm clock who blinked it's numbers back at him innocently. "Both him and Miss look like that when they're around Subaru. It just ain't fair, ya know?"  
  
Sorata sat down on the bed, mulling over that last thought. Before he could work it into any sense however, he was out like a light, the alcohol having finally soaked through.  
  
---  
  
"Good morning Sorata-san!"  
  
Sorata blinked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Mornin', Akira-san."  
  
Akira cocked his head to the side slightly. "You don't seem as in high-spirits are you did yesterday, Sorata-san."  
  
The priest pulled a chair up and sat down at the table. "Yeah, I didn't sleep too well last night."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that! Would you like some lunch?"  
  
Sorata perked immediately. After losing most of what he ate yesterday to the porcelain god earlier this morning, he could use something in his stomach. "Sure, whatcha making?"  
  
Akira was about to answer when Yuzuriha came bounding into the room. "Hey, I'm going now!"  
  
The gray eyed man waved while Sorata regarded her, looking puzzled. "Where are ya going, Yuzuriha-chan?"  
  
The girl turned, a bright smile painting her young features. "Oh, no where special. Just out for some ice cream with Inuki."  
  
"Ice cream, eh?" Sorata pondered that for a moment. "Oi, Yuzuriha-chan, would you mind if I tagged along?"  
  
Yuzuriha's eyes widened behind her dark bangs and she blushed deeply. "Uh... um... Well, you see Sorata-san..." She blinked at him apologetically, her smile twisting into a cute little pout. "I sort of... am going to meet someone...."  
  
The pieces came together like a child's 20 part puzzle. "Oh!! Sorry then! Well, you better get going, don't want to keep your date waiting!" Sorata said, flashing his best smile at her.  
  
She blushed again and laughed nervously. "Oh, it's not a date, really.. it's just.. um... um... I'd better be going! Come on Inuki!" She practically leaped out of the door with her dog spirit close behind.  
  
Sorata sighed the moment the two of them left and thunked his head down on the table.  
  
Yuzuriha had someone....  
  
Aoki-san and Kasumi-san had each other.... sorta....  
  
Kamui had Subaru.....  
  
Miss had Subaru....  
  
Subaru had.... well.... the Sakurazukamori?....  
  
And Sorata had....  
  
.... had....  
  
"Sorata-san?"  
  
He peered up from under his unruly bangs at the two large eyes that blinked down at him worriedly. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Hai hai. Just suddenly not real hungry anymore. I think I'm going to go and take a walk for a bit."  
  
---  
  
If anyone had cared to notice, they would have seen a very dejected looking young man, hands stuffed deep in jean pockets, meandering seemingly aimlessly about the streets of Tokyo, but carefully avoiding any ice cream shops.  
  
"They all have someone," he muttered under his breath, stepping gingerly around small group of kindergarten children milling about, "how am I suppose to die for a woman when I can't even find a girl who'll give me a second look?"  
  
He continued walking, speculating on this new thought and found himself eventually at the dead end of an alley. "Whoops." As he prepared to just leap up onto of the building, blackness surrounded him.  
  
/What the hell?!/  
  
He blinked into the darkness and suddenly recognized it; he was in a dream. But who's and how did he get here?  
  
"Sorata Arisugawa, the Seal of Kouya."  
  
Sorata whirled around at the soft voice, baseball cap almost flying off of his head. A pale figure regarded him quietly, so pretty Sorata would have sworn it was female if not for the lack of curves.  
  
"I am Kakyou," the golden-eyed one said with a small bow, "and you are in one of my Dreams."  
  
"Uh-huh, I kind of gathered that." Sorata glanced around nervously, not exactly pleased to be caught in a dream with one of the seven Angels. "Mind if I ask why? Or are you looking for a fight, Dragon of Earth?"  
  
"A fight is not my intention. I was asked to weave this Dream to ensnare you in it. I simply did my duty."  
  
Sorata frowned, tensing a little. "Who asked you to?"  
  
"I did."  
  
That voice.... Now where did he know that voice from?.....  
  
A tall figure melted out of the darkness and the slighter form Sorata had been addressing vanished.  
  
The priest gaped.  
  
/OhmyGodI'mgonnadie./  
  
"You seem surprised, Dragon of Heaven," the 'Kamui' of the Dragons of Earth said with a slight smirk.  
  
Sorata swallowed the growing lump in his throat and took a small step backwards. He didn't lack any confidence in his own abilities, but 'Kamui', both of them, were worlds away in power from himself.  
  
"Well, I'm just a little flattered is all," Sorata said, summoning up a grin, "to decide to harass me out of all of the other Seals."  
  
"I see." The smirk grew wider. "You can calm down, I'm not going to kill you today."  
  
Sorata couldn't quite repress a shudder. "Uh, gee, well, that's good to know right! Ha ha ha..." His gaze left the figure to rake over the darkness, (escape, every instinct told him, /run/) and he took another small step backwards, feeling himself run into something solid but warm. He glanced up behind him.  
  
"Waah!!"  
  
The 'Kamui' smiled down at him, hands reaching out to firmly grasp Sorata's elbows and pulling the monk back against him. "Things don't always work out in Dreams like they do in the 'real world', ne?" He chuckled softly, breath warm against Sorata's ear. Sorata shuddered hard.  
  
/I will not lose control.... I will not lose control.... Plus, he's not gonna kill me, right? Right?.... And hey, I can't die now, I wouldn't be protecting any lady..../  
  
"Do you wish to escape your destiny?"  
  
Sorata's eyes widened.  
  
---  
  
-end chapter one  
  
  
  
  
  
random notes: I don't know if I'll ever really continue this fic; I have a big chunk of chapter two done but I've kind of just run out of any will to write it, especially since it's so out of date now *sweatdrops* Hope you enjoyed it anyways and if you didn't then please smile politely and pretend you did? My ego is horribly fragile.  
  
And before I'm killed by outraged Sorata and Arashi fans, I really DO like them together. They're probably one of my favorite ClAMP pairings. But! I decided I wanted to do something a lill different. Whee. Also, I stole the idea of Arashi being in love with Subaru from someone... but I can't recall who *sweatdrops* Whatever author came up with the original idea, I salute you and your creativity as opposed to my non. 


	2. Part 2

Same disclaimers for chapter 1 (shounen ai, charas don't belong to me, yada yada)  
  
  
  
  
  
---  
  
Time stopped for a moment as the 'Kamui's question sunk slowly into Sorata's mind, weaving and  
twisting it's way around his consciousness.  
  
/Escape..../  
  
/Freedom?..../  
  
His mind grasped at those concepts, could almost feel himself reaching out for that one  
shining thing that cried "free!" over and over.... He watched it slip through his fingers,  
the light becoming bound, dark chains encircling it tightly, strangling as it still cried.....   
  
None of this quite made it out from his lips though.  
  
"Wha... What?", he questioned, half to the being behind him and half to himself,  
watching the light slowly fade as the cry echoed back through his mind.  
  
"It is possible for you."  
  
Sorata tensed. "What do you mean?"  
  
An image began to shimmer into existence in front of his startled eyes. It was -  
  
"Miss..."  
  
- talking to Subaru.  
  
He swallowed hard. "Oi, what's the big idea?"  
  
The image shifted slightly, Miss becoming shorter and slimmer until she was replaced by  
a doe eyed teenage boy.  
  
The look on the face remained the same.  
  
"Hey! I said what's the big idea?!"  
  
"You sound upset."  
  
"You sound amused."  
  
The 'Kamui' chuckled. "I enjoy seeing other's pain," he said with a lazy shrug, "and  
yours is quite pleasant to watch." Sorata hissed a curse out between his clenched teeth.  
'Kamui' laughed and then bent his head down, lips to Sorata's ear.  
  
"You can have him, if you like."  
  
Him?....  
  
A thousand images flashed through Sorata's mind: a scowl, a rare smile, wide purple eyes  
looking broken beyond repair, tears pouring down like rain, the slight figure, delicate  
build, annoyed glare, a sweet blush, tired and worried eyes, always trying to remain in  
control and failing miserably.....  
  
A single name blossomed in Sorata's heart like a sakura flower.  
  
Another low laugh brought the monk out of his thoughts. "I thought you would like that."  
  
He fought off the blush that threatened to make this already touchy situation a little  
worse. "Hey, well, that's nice and all pal, but I've gotta die for a woman, ya know. And  
Kamui's pretty, I'll admit, but he's not female."  
  
"You will die for the sake of a woman...." 'Kamui' said, seeming to recite the words  
from memory, "and yet you will give your life protecting Kamui." Sorata blinked at that;  
the words of the Stargazer.   
  
"Your Kamui isn't the only one with two destinies." Sorata's eyes widened and broke  
free of the taller man's loosening grasp to face him.  
  
"What do you mean? How can I have two destinies?"  
  
A cold hand grasped his throat and Sorata suddenly found it difficult to breath. "You can  
choose who you will die for."  
  
---  
  
The monk awoke with a start and blinked at the darkening sky. Looks like it's going to  
rain soon, he mused. Maybe there would be a heck of a storm with lots of thunder and  
lightening....  
  
He rose up slowly from the ground, rubbing distractedly at the dark imprints on his neck  
and wondering exactly -what- that had been about.  
  
Why would the other Kamui come and speak to him like that? Sorata had a feeling, or at  
least a hope, that none of the Seals were probably going to die before the 'Promised Day'  
(whenever the hell -that- was) and that most of this time they'd already been together was  
just part of a long, long waiting game. So if it hadn't been for a fight, or to kill him, why  
had he come? Why had he told him.....  
  
Two destinies.....  
  
Sorata shrugged, and rubbed at his temples. Man, he thought, this whole ordeal is already  
giving me a headache. With a shake of his head, trying to unfuzz his brain, he leaped up  
onto the building and noticed with a start the setting sun.   
  
/How long had I been in that dream?/  
  
He really didn't know any of the intricacies in making or controlling a dream, but he  
didn't think that time in a Dream, made by a Dream-weaver, would pass that much  
differently. The monk rubbed his neck again and guessed that most of his time he had  
spent passed out in that alley after the Kamui had rather forcefully cut off his air. He  
blinked and checked quickly for his wallet (one could never be too careful in a big city  
like Tokyo), assured himself that it was still there with what little cash he had, and began  
to hop from building to building, enjoying the cooler evening air.  
  
Sorata still wanted answers to the growing number of questions he had though.  
  
Why had the other Kamui come to him? The Kouya Seal couldn't find an answer he was  
satisfied with. Had he come only to bewilder the monk, to try and confuse him about his  
set path in life? Had he been lying? Or....  
  
Maybe what the Dark Kamui said was true - maybe he really could decide his own  
destiny and who he would give his life for. Maybe he had simply been in a generous  
mood, and had decided he would rather mess with one of the Seal's minds instead of  
trying to kill them and Sorata had been the closest one. Maybe that other Dreamseer, the  
one with the Dragons of Earth, had foreseen Sorata's future and the Kamui, apon  
learning it, decided to pass that little tidbit of information onto the Seal.  
  
Or maybe....  
  
Maybe he was just a psychopath with too much time on his hands.  
  
Sorata looked at that last answer and decided he could live with it, it made more sense  
than the Kamui coming to him out of some sort of sense of duty. People sure do have  
interesting ways of amusing themselves, he thought, touching down lightly on another  
rooftop, you'd think he'd have better things to do with his time, like killing innocents,  
destroying kekkais and causing general mass destruction. He was nearly back to the  
mansion when another familiar, much less threatening voice, called out behind him.  
  
"Sorata-saaaaaaaaan!"  
  
He turned, almost losing his balance as he had been about to leap into the air again, and  
grinned at the slight figure hopping gaily towards him.  
  
"Yuzuriha-chan!"  
  
The girl landed a few feet away, Inuki bounding up to sit next to her. "What are you  
doing out, Sorata-san?"  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing, young lady." He turned, folding his arms and  
doing his best impression of Kamui's typical scowl. "What are you doing out this late?  
The sun is almost down."  
  
"I, er, well, you see, my friend and I, after ice cream, we decided to go out and walk  
around for a little bit and do some shopping. Oooh! That reminds me!" She clapped her  
hands thoughtfully in front of her face and leaned foreward, "Sorata-san, do you know  
when Kamui-chan's birthday is?"  
  
"Birthday?" The mock scowl vanished to be replaced by a puzzled frown. "Actually, I  
have no idea"  
  
"Wah! No one does!" She frowned as well, but it looked more like a pout on her young  
face. "Maybe I should just ask Kamui.... but I didn't want to seem rude and be the only  
person who didn't know!"  
  
Sorata shrugged. "Go for it, and tell me if you find out. Anyways, we should start getting  
back." The inugami master nodded her head eagerly and the two Dragons leapt into the  
air, Inuki close behind.  
  
"Yuzuriha-chan?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Why do you want to know Kamui's birthday anyways? Just curious?" He turned to look  
at her as they cleared another building.  
  
"Sort of. You see, while I was out, I bought him a present! I want to give it to him, but  
it'll seem a little weird if I just walk up to him and say 'Here Kamui-chan!', you know?  
So, if his birthday is soon, I could just hold onto it until then and then give it to him! Do  
you think that's a good idea?" Her large eyes darted over to the monk who laughed and  
nodded.  
  
"It's a great idea! We'll have to throw him a huge party, with lots of cake and ice cream  
and pocky and streamers and games and girls (or maybe he would prefer boys?) and  
balloons and presents and fun!" He grinned at the thought of Kamui up to his ears in  
brightly colored boxes with a large red bow stuck on his constantly ruffled hair. "Yeah!  
This could be fantastic! When you find out, tell me please, okay Yuzuriha-chan?"  
  
"Mm!" She nodded and smiled back pleasantly, the thoughts of a party, and a distraction  
from the worry she kept hidden inside of herself, dancing through her head.  
  
The two continued to leap until they were on the lawn of the gigantic mansion. Opening  
the door and going into the main room, they were greeted to a strange sight.  
  
"Left hand, yellow."  
  
"EEHH?!" The Seals in the doorway said in unison as the little group huddled in the  
middle of the room blinked up at them.  
  
"Sorata-san!" Karen smiled cheerfully and waved briefly before setting her hand down  
back onto one of the colorful dots. "And Yuzuriha-chan! Do you two want to play?"  
  
"Maybe they should, being younger. They're probably a lot more agile than we are." Seiichiro made a face as he stretched valiantly at the circle just out of his reach.  
  
"Are you calling us old?" Nokoru teased, looking surprisingly at ease despite the pretzel  
position he was in.  
  
The pair in the doorway continued to blink at the odd scene while Karen and Nokoru  
cheered as Seiichiro finally worked his fingers onto the yellow dot. Subaru Sumeragi  
glanced towards Sorata and Yuzuriha, before flicking the spinner with surprising grace.  
Figures, Sorata thought idly, that he can look dignified in this sort of situation. Miss and  
Kamui sat off to one side; Kamui hiding one of those rare smiles behind a hand and Miss  
looking mildly baffled at the trio playing the game.  
  
"Right foot, blue."  
  
Seiichiro groaned as Karen burst into a fit of giggles, watching the suited man twisting  
this way and that. Yuzuriha joined in the laughter and skipped over to plop down next to  
Subaru. The monk scratched his head for a moment before heading over to sit beside the  
Twister mat.  
  
"Can I play next round?", he asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course!", Karen said with a smile, "I think this round may be over soon anyways,  
especially if Seiichiro here falls on me like I think he will."  
  
The man scoffed slightly. "I will not."  
  
"Suuuure," the soapland girl purred as Aoki finally lost his balance and crashed down on  
top of her and the mat. Nokoru smiled brightly.  
  
"I win!"  
  
"My turn!" Sorata grinned and looked over his shoulder where the priestess was. "Care to  
join me, Miss?"  
  
One of Arashi's eyebrows twitched. "No thank-you, Sorata-san."  
  
He fell back onto the mat, hands clutched over his heart and eyes rolled back in his head.  
"Refusing my kind invitation? You wound me, Miss!" He sat upright suddenly and  
winked at her. "But of course, love can heal all wounds!"  
  
"I thought that was time?" Karen blinked her mahogany eyes at him. Sorata blinked back  
and shrugged.  
  
"Well, love can too! Hah hah hah!" He laughed, placing a hand behind his head, and then  
looked at Kamui, who had finally won his fight with his smile and was now looking as  
somber as usual.  
  
/Hmmmm...../  
  
"Hey, Kamui! You wanna play?"  
  
"Eh?" Large violet eyes became even larger.  
  
"You wanna play?", Sorata repeated, gesturing towards the mat with his other hand.  
  
"I dunno." Kamui frowned slightly, first at the monk and then at the brightly colored  
dots.  
  
"Aw, come on! It'll be great!" He leapt to his feet and grasped Kamui's forearm gently in  
his hand, tugging the younger boy slightly. Kamui looked up at him, about to voice a  
protest as his eyes slid over the floor, past the priest. Sorata glanced over his shoulder and  
managed, with some difficulty to keep his mouth from gaping.  
  
Subaru Sumeragi's lips were twitching slightly upwards. And as Sorata watched this new  
strange happening, he realized Kamui was now pulling -him- towards the twister mat.  
  
/Today just keeps getting weirder and weirder..../  
  
---  
  
Sorata muttered darkly into his pillow, twisting onto his side, trying to avoid putting any  
weight on the shoulder that was screaming 'You need to work out more!' at him. Who  
knew Twister could be painful, he thought with a mental grumble. Least it had been fun  
while it lasted. Kamui had won the last few rounds, being little and slim had it's  
advantages as he had been able to squeeze around under Sorata and Nokoru to get at the  
dots.  
  
/Kamui..../  
  
Feeling suddenly restless, the monk pushed himself out of bed and paced in his room for  
a moment before deciding to give into his instincts. He crept carefully out of his room  
and down the hallway, counting a few doors down until.... Ah-ha!  
  
He turned the knob slowly, not wanting to wake the room's inhabitant, and peered into  
the darkness. The dim moonlight shone in through a large window, casting shadows over  
the bed. Sorata squinted a little harder and was satisfied to see it was still occupied with  
it's slender owner. His odd burst of nervousness resolved, he began to shut the door  
slowly when a soft murmur stopped him.  
  
"Sora?"  
  
Sorata blinked for a moment, then stuck his head back around the door. "You awake?"  
  
"Yeah." Kamui sat up in bed a little groggily, his hair in wild disarray and sheets  
rumbled. It was obvious he hadn't been sleeping well.  
  
"Mind if I come in?"  
  
"Mm." The slighter boy shook his head, tousling his hair further, and Sorata eased into  
the darkness, shutting the door with a soft click behind him. He stood, leaning against it  
for a moment before moving over to sit cross-legged at the foot of Kamui's bed.  
  
"Sorry if I woke ya."  
  
"You didn't wake me, I.... I haven't been able to get to sleep for a while now," Kamui  
admitted, his hands smoothing idly at the bed sheets bunched around him. He sure did  
make a cute picture, Sorata thought, all ruffled in his pajamas like that. The priest  
blinked at his own thought and shooed it quickly out of his mind. "You couldn't sleep  
either?"  
  
Sorata shrugged a little, then rubbed at his sore shoulder. "Not really, in too much pain  
right now. Twister is a harsh game," he said with a grin. Kamui looked up at him, eyes  
strangely serious in the shadows. Sorata gulped a little, not liking that look one bit.  
  
"Sora?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you love Arashi?"  
  
It was a simple question, and one the priest had no honest answer for. Of course he cared  
about her, he cared for her deeply, but.... love? He imagined for a moment what it would  
be like to grow old with her: to have 2.5 children, a dog and a cute house with her, and  
realized.... that it really wouldn't be very fun or exciting at all. A person like her, so shut  
up inside of themselves and so in control of their own emotions, would probably never  
really change, no matter -what- he did.  
  
/Is that why I chose her? Just because she was pretty and seemed lonely? And because  
I'm going to.... going to die? Even if she did accept me, I wouldn't have to worry about  
staying with her, because of my destiny.... Is that why? Am I really -that- shallow?/  
  
"Sora??"  
  
He blinked, brought out of that train of disturbing thoughts. "Eh?"  
  
"Are you going to answer me?" Those large eyes regarded him carefully.  
  
/Kamui..../  
  
/ "You can have him, if you like." /  
  
Sorata swallowed hard. "Well, you see," he stuttered slightly, looking for the right words  
and way he could say he still cared about her but how he didn't.....  
  
.... love her.  
  
/Is it the same with her and Subaru? I saw Miss..... as someone beautiful and refined and  
everything I'm not, someone practically perfect but still so very alone.... Does she see  
that with him? Is that why she gets that look in her eye? Gods, I'm getting a headache./  
  
"Sora?!"  
  
"Ack! Sorry!" Sorata waved his hands, laughing softly. "My mind is kind of, um, not here  
right now. Would you like to leave a message?"  
  
Kamui scowled, lips twisting down into a frown. "You could at least answer me."  
  
Sorata sighed, knowing he wasn't about to get out of this. "Well, I do care for her a lot,  
Kamui. She really is someone special, I wouldn't mind giving my life if it's for someone  
like that. But if you're asking me, would I marry her, then I'd probably say no. Did that  
answer your question?"  
  
Kamui blinked at him. "Not really."  
  
Sorata hung his head in defeat.  
  
---  
  
  
  
  
  
This chapter was a little corny, gomen. Thank-you to everyone who's reviewed so far by the way, you're doing wonders for my ego =D Chapter three may or may not be coming soon. We shall see. 


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